orange you glad

vintage teacup from little eye on etsy

It’s February, which means the only thing sustaining any of us until the first 50 degree evening brings us a downpour to wash all the road salt away is pretty much junk food, our favorite tv shows streaming, and bright pops of color almost constantly.

Even though the fresh, white snow is beautiful (and will continue to get taller and taller and still beautiful after the coming three-day Nor’Easter we’re supposed to get, it’s still white.  So white.  So endlessly white.

I’ve been knitting with bright colors on my needles (most recently:  turquoise and orange) and listing brightly colored objects in the Etsy shop to keep my eyes open.  They’ve put me in charge of revamping the kitchen at work at possibly the most daring time of year for me, colorwise.  I think I’m using Stefanie Hiebert’s retro living room as my color inspiration.  Lunch break won’t know what hit it!

ladies size 7.5 tan/navy gumshoe from little eye on etsy

snowy day, bright prints

Good lord, it’s happening again:  6-10 inches of the white stuff started falling this morning just before I left for work.  It’s an excuse to break out the bison boots again, and actually nice to cover up the muddy patches since there’s two more months, minimum, of winter in the north east.  Better to look at a soft blanket of snow than the alternative.  The picture above is from this afternoon’s sweep-off of the car after leaving work a wee bit early to beat the rest of the storm.  Oh yeah!  If you’d like to follow me on Instagram, my name is littleeyedesigns.

Guess what, I couldn’t help myself when I drove by the deserted parking lot at the thrift store.  I found some gauzy, cotton dresses in pretty prints that are just begging for an early Spring.  Me too, pretty dresses, me too!  These will end up in the shop or on Ebay sometime in the next week, so definitely check back!

Tea Cup Candles

espresso-sized tea cup candles, click for listing

I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time… is it because I have a bad habit of turning old things in to new things?  Or is it my insatiable search for the perfect vintage tea cup?  Whatever it is, I don’t mind.  The kitchen is covered in wax and now I have a bunch of new, pretty things to share.

this tea cup is everywhere

These are retailing from $8.95 to $12.95, and will be listed in my shop over the coming days.  The tea cups and saucers are enhanced with an unscented soy wax and wick, and are suitable for washing and reusing for tea time once the wax is gone.

my favorite so far

Each one of these is different, the one just above is my favorite so far.  Navy blue and orange tones are so nice, and contrasted with the whiteness of the porcelain and the wax.  Simple pleasures!

Just in Time for Valentine’s: Little Eye on Cafe Press

S.W.A.K. -or- Seal With A Kiss. ©Image copyright by Audrey Hotchkiss 2012.

La-dee-da!  It’s not every Wednesday night you’re lounging around, looking for something to do and end up as productive as I have!  Little Eye has just opened her Cafe Press shop featuring, for now, just ONE lovely, Valentinesy designy.  The doodle is a little harbor seal pup I drew a few months back when I was making big plans for a screen printing machine J.R. and I had picked up at the craft store.  It’s still sitting in the same place in our art space, but I was desperate to see my drawings on some products.  Enter:  Cafe Press!

I added a heart and some text to the illustration et voilà, finis.  The illustration is also available without the heart and text so if you’d like me to add a product email me at littleeyedesigns at gmail.

Here is my favorite product, below, but the S.W.A.K. pup is also available in the Cafe Press Shop on tote bags, mouse pads, women’s wear, ringer T’s, thongs (!!!), pint glasses, water bottles and more!

Little Eye Onesies!! What the?! Awesome! Click image for onesie listing.

This is a relatively new venture for Little Eye so any feedback you have about the design, the product selection, pricing, or anything else you can think of is greatly appreciated.

Dresses Posted, 1/16/2012

Posted two more dresses today!

Sweet, Sweet Graduation Dress from Banana Republic. Click for Auction.

She comes first ’cause she’s my favorite.  The problem with clothing purchased for occasions is that they are often chosen a tier above one’s ‘regular style.’  Like, you’re not going to wear a wedding dress every day (but if you do, I think you’re awesome and I wanna know you).  Same here – for my HIGH SCHOOL graduation my Mom and I searched high and low for something that would be cool in the June heat, modest yet still young and ‘hip’ as the kids are calling it these days.  I wore this dress under my white graduation gown with strappy Etienne Aigner high heel sandals with little, white leather flower details.  Eventually the shoes gave in but I cut the flowers off and they are buried somewhere in my ‘stuff.’  I couldn’t bear to get rid of the dress, too.  But then one day, like a bolt of lightning, it hits you that you haven’t worn something in 10 years but you have, indeed, been moving it from apartment to apartment.  Time to let such a pretty thing grace some other woman’s body for a special occasion.  And repeat.

1970s Vintage Navy Blue Button Down Dress

Click on the image for the Etsy listing and more pictures.  This was one of many thrifting finds where I didn’t totally have the time to try on the garment before I impulsively bought it.  “I’m sure it will work!” and it did, like once.  I wish I was a lady who felt comfortable in belts.  Is that weird?  I look good with a belt, it just feels weird.  In any case, this lady needs a belt and someone who has strong enough cheekbones to counteract that super duper long 70s collar.  Dyno-mite!

Clothes Horse

Vintage Handmade House Dress (1960s) with Gingham and Rick Rack Details, $19.95 on Etsy. Click to see listing.

This weekend I started the project that I’d long been fantasizing about.  It’s not as glamorous as I thought, and I did manage to drop my camera and jam up the auto focus on my zoom lens (which is fine, I’ve been meaning to get a fixed lens for quite some time now!  Better picture quality.) but it’s nice to start cleaning out the closets.

Any time I see a really neat piece of clothing at a good price I always say to myself “Hey!  I could sell that if it doesn’t look good on me!”  80% of the time I get the damn thing home and realize it doesn’t fit, isn’t ‘me’ or really like it but then never manage to wear it.

Banana Republic Coat, XS, Starting bid $0.99 on Ebay, click for auction

I’ll be posting my clothing listings, on Ebay and Etsy, over the next few days.  Hope you like!

Heart in a Frame

Click on the picture to see the listing!

I think I posted this leading up to Valentine’s Day last year.  It’s one of my favorite pictures.  It’s an outhouse window (well, technically a tool shed now what with the advent of indoor plumbing) on my Grammie’s acres in Northern Vermont.  Available in my shop!

Mug Collection: Butterflies in a Field

Butterfly Mug, $6.95 from Little Eye on Etsy

Listed this pretty one in my shop last night.  The lip curls out which is lovely for tea.  The blue/brown combination is one of my favorites!

Mug Collection: Hearthside Buffetware

Vintage 1970's Mug

Ok, so I don’t think it’s actual Hearthside Buffetware but it’s definitely done after the style of these mugs that I’ve been seeing EVERYWHERE lately.  I like them a lot.  This one’s listed in my shop at $6.95, if you’re local let me know and I can forego the shipping cost if you’d like to pick up!  It’s got a little chippy, but not on the sipping part of the mug.